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Third Day of the First Substantive Session of the Ad Hoc Open Ended Working Group

16 一月 2019

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The Ad hoc Open-ended Working Group (AHWG) opened on Wednesday with the observance of a minute of silence for the victims of Tuesday's suspected terrorist attack in Nairobi. The Co-Chairs led the tribute for the victims and their families, and in solidarity with the people and government of Kenya.

The AHWG resumed consideration of the Secretary-General’s report on “Gaps in international environmental law and environment-related instruments: towards a global pact for the environment” (A/73/419), covering chapters on, respectively, environment-related instruments (trade, investment, intellectual property, and human rights), gaps related to the governance structure of international environmental law (IEL), and gaps relating to the implementation and effectiveness of IEL.

Among the points raised were:

The role of UNEP and the United Nations Environment Assembly, and their relationship to other parts of the IEL regime;

The scope of the AHWG’s mandate regarding environment-related instruments, and the autonomy of MEAs;

Gaps in the UNSG’s report, including corporate responsibility for environmental damage;

The merits of an overarching normative framework for IEL, and the respective merits of specialization in MEAs;

Links between implementation of IEL and means of implementation;

The role of non-state actors and resources to facilitate their participation in the AHWG process;

Inter-MEA coordination and synergies, including recognition of ongoing work, and whether synergies are best achieved at the national level;

Links between the AHWG mandate and Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals;

Implementation at various scales, including local, regional, and global, and capacity building for stakeholders, including judges;

The scope of the AHWG, including state and civil liability; and

The merits of continuing with a facilitative model of compliance in MEAs.

Bilateral conversations also continued throughout the day, as delegations sought to clarify numerous issues in order to develop their positions.

IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, is providing daily web coverage and will provide a summary and analysis report from the 1st Substantive Session of the Ad Hoc Open Ended Working Group Towards a Global Pact for the Environment.